


Rite of Passage

by jibber_jabber



Category: SK8 the Infinity (Anime)
Genre: Awkward Kissing, Crushes, First Kiss, Fluff, Fluff and Humor, Friendship, M/M, Minor Injuries, Missing Scene, Romance
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2021-03-14
Updated: 2021-03-14
Packaged: 2021-03-22 15:53:38
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,027
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/30041076
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/jibber_jabber/pseuds/jibber_jabber
Summary: These are the kinds of moments Reki likes best: the park is bathed in golden light, a bird calls softly in the distance, and Langa has just fallen on his ass while trying to do an ollie.
Relationships: Hasegawa Langa/Kyan Reki
Comments: 6
Kudos: 140





	Rite of Passage

**Author's Note:**

> This little piece is set somewhere in the earlier episodes, when Reki is teaching Langa to skate and we weren't all in Pain™️
> 
> Thanks for reading, and I hope you enjoy!
> 
> (Big thank you to [sia_la_luce](https://archiveofourown.org/users/FourCatProductions/pseuds/sia_la_luce) for the beta work!)

Langa is, without a doubt in Reki’s mind, the best damn skater he’s ever met in his life. Or at least, he will be—soon as he can figure out how to go two meters on a skateboard without falling over.

They’re practicing in a park tucked away on a little known side street, in the hopes that the cops won’t find and chase them off this time. The city skyline is bathed in the golden light of sunset, and it warms Reki’s face. He smiles, exhilarated, listening to the sound of Langa’s skateboard scraping across the pavement as Reki rolls it back to him. Reki feels his best when completely immersed in skateboarding, and it’s even better now that he has a new friend to share the joy with.

“That’s it, Langa!” he calls out encouragingly, clapping as Langa steps on his board for the thirtieth time that day. They’ve got two water bottles set up beside one another in the middle of the park for Langa to jump over, but he has yet to do it successfully. His latest attempt looks promising—his weight is distributed evenly on the board, he just has to move his foot like so, and—

The board slides out from underneath him, and Langa is launched into the air. His arms swing like propellers as he tries to right himself and land on his feet, but it proves futile because he smacks his ass on the concrete anyway. He groans, running grimy hands over his face. His nose, cheek, and forehead are already bandaged from their previous practicing.

“Ouch,” he says.

Bit of an understatement, Reki thinks, and chuckles to himself.

“Don’t laugh at my plight,” Langa moans, now lying flat on the ground, arms spread eagle at his sides. “Why does skateboarding hurt so much?”

Reki walks over and offers a fist bump for the valiant effort. It deserves one. Langa accepts it but mumbles in pain as they knock fists. 

“What did I tell you?” Reki laughs, holding out his hand. “Rite of passage.”

Langa groans as Reki pulls him to his feet and rubs his shoulder. “I wish the rite of passage wasn’t so painful.”

“All part of the process.” Reki grins and places his fists on his hips. “I’m sure you probably fell plenty of times when learning to snowboard, right? It’s just like that.”

“Not really.” Langa stares off into the distance as he answers, as if he’s mentally somewhere else. “I was barely old enough to remember when I started. Plus, snow is a lot better to fall on than concrete.”

Reki nods. “Why don’t we take a break then?”

They slump against a nearby bench, facing out towards the sunset. The sky’s all gold and pink and orange, and Reki sees the faint tug of a smile at Langa’s lips as he watches the horizon. He turns to face Reki, noticing that he’s been staring at him, and Reki looks away quickly, suddenly flustered. His bag opens with a tug of the zipper, and he rummages inside until he finds the sandwiches he’d packed earlier. He tosses one to Langa, still not meeting his gaze.

“It’s the wheels that get you, right?” he says between mouthfuls. “You’re afraid of falling.”

“Yeah.” Langa has his legs zipped together and back ramrod straight against the bench, moving slowly as he unwraps the foil on his sandwich. He must still be in pain, Reki figures. “And I always feel like the board will slip out from under me without my feet in place.” He smiles wryly. “Usually it does.”

Reki hums in understanding, swallowing the bit of his sandwich he was chewing. He remembers all the bruises and injuries he received when first learning how to skate himself, although he wore them more like the proud scars of a soldier, showing them off to anyone who showed even a tiny bit of interest. His mom had been less than pleased about them; still, that never stopped him from continuing to skate. He wants to smile at the memory, but he’s well aware that Langa is studying him, waiting for an answer.

He turns his body to face Langa, tucking one leg underneath him so that his thigh rests on the bench. “Well, then you’ve just gotta be brave. Face your fears. Otherwise, you’ll never be a good skater.” Proud of his own brilliant words of advice, he settles back into his original position, leaning against the bench.

“Be brave, huh?” Langa won’t quite look at him now, his cheeks faintly pink.

“Yeah, bravery! It’s like… even if you’re scared about a move, you have to be brave and go for it anyway.” Reki folds his arms behind his head, elbows fanned out, and smiles proudly. Who knew teaching a rookie would bring out this super wise and smart side of him? “That’s what skating’s all about.”

Langa watches him for a few more moments, his face inscrutable. Reki is just starting to feel uncomfortable by the silence when Langa suddenly leans forward, grabs two fistfuls of Reki’s hoodie, and tugs him in for a kiss. It’s a bit uncomfortable at first, since their noses are kind of smushed and their lips meet at an awkward angle and Reki is stiff as a board, too shocked to move. But then all at once, it’s not awkward, as Langa tilts his head, and Reki wakes up and starts to move against him. He presses into the kiss just a little bit more, and Langa smiles almost imperceptibly against his mouth, cupping Reki’s cheek with a calloused hand. Langa’s lips are a bit chapped but still nice, and Reki thinks he could maybe get used to this… until Langa pulls away.

Reki is left gaping at him like a fish as he realizes what’s just happened. He’s certain his face is bright red now.

“Wait—I—you—huh?”

Langa smiles softly this time, like he’s sharing a secret with Reki, and stands up, brushing his hands on his jeans. He walks behind the bench, still not saying anything, and places one foot on his skateboard.

“Let me try again.”


End file.
